BMW and M Power Owners

TS7 · 2 Jan 2015 at 18:12

xs2man said:
Ride comfort. M-Sport springs are generally regarded as giving a terrible ride, although I don't even notice it personally (but then I have been driving M-Sports and S-Lines for years now).

I guess what he is referring to more though, is that spending less on the wheels and bodykit (a la M-Sport kit), you have the money to spend on a better engine, or enhanced spec.

[TW]Fox;27421376 said:
More change for options and better engines.

Most 5 Series here seem to be very low spec with smallest diesel but M Sport. Finding a big spec car is a pain.

Ah I understand. Thanks

TS7 · 2 Jan 2015 at 18:14

mrk said:
Can anyone recommend me a set of decent wheel nuts (without locking bolts) please? I've had a search on eBay etc and there are loads, all claiming to be x% greater strength than the competition and suchlike. I just want nuts that look stock. My current ones are as you'd expect for 9 yr old nuts, looking a bit tired and make my otherwise pristine alloys look bad!

Thanks.

Perhaps it's just me being over cautious, but when buying nuts, the things which keep your wheels on the car

I'd want from a reputable outlet where they would have been subject to some sort of testing / accreditation and not eBay! Can you not get them from BMW?

Clarkey · 2 Jan 2015 at 18:17

BMW don't use nuts anyway.
/pedant mode

Jez · 2 Jan 2015 at 18:27

mrk said:
Can anyone recommend me a set of decent wheel nuts (without locking bolts) please? I've had a search on eBay etc and there are loads, all claiming to be x% greater strength than the competition and suchlike. I just want nuts that look stock. My current ones are as you'd expect for 9 yr old nuts, looking a bit tired and make my otherwise pristine alloys look bad!

Thanks.

I bought 4 (bolts) to eliminate my locking wheel bolts, they were literally about £2 each from BMW north oxford. Might as well just buy them from BMW

mrk · 2 Jan 2015 at 18:30

Actually that's a point, I imagined they would be a lot dearer than £2 each at BMW too! That means they will be a bit cheaper still using the bmwland member discount through Cotswold. Time to enquire ta!

TS7, at first I just thought "well nuts are just nuts" - Then realised that wasn't so simple

Ghosteh · 3 Jan 2015 at 00:05

Has anyone here got a 428i Sport Coupé? Not the M Sport lol. Just looking for anyones experiences.

Possibly looking at getting one of these as a replacement for my aging 55 plate 320d ES, so it'll be quite an upgrade as it was the most basic model with very little extras. I've had that car for 4 years and found it to be fantastic and pretty much faultless, but now feel like it's time for something new.

I've got a test drive on Sunday with a 428i M Sport, mostly to check out the engine and gearbox as I'm looking at getting my first automatic too, but couldn't get a sport model with this notice. If I find the ride too hard I'll probably look to see if I can get a ride in a sport model too.

It'll be bought on PCP finance, but the BMW website doesn't seem to be showing any PCP offers for any of their cars at the moment, just PCH, so hard to do some comparisons!
I've spec'ed one out that comes to around £39k, and can get it down to around £33.6k from one dealer with an APR of 6.9% over a 48 month period, and this is meant to be a special offer for ex/serving military personnel. I'm waiting to try another dealer to see what they can offer, but just wondering what others would expect to be able to get from a new purchase?

[TW]Fox · 3 Jan 2015 at 00:19

Why buy a new 428i Sport when the same money - £33.6k - buys you something like this:

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/4-Series/...98605-604779645-3497133.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Or this huge spec car:

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/4-Series/...98605-604728333-3497034.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Or given that its basically exactly the same car, how about saving a few thousand quid and getting a 328i M Sport with 10 miles on the clock?

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/...90694-604786596-3497130.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Or perhaps a 1000 mile 335i M Sport?

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/...90695-604781101-3497216.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

So yea, don't spend £34k on a 328i 'Sport'. The 'Sport' trim level is a bit weird anyway, I had a 420 Sport loan car for a few days. Wasn't impressed, didn't feel like an expensive car.

Ghosteh · 3 Jan 2015 at 00:43

To be honest, I hadn't considered the 435i as I was expecting insurance to be much higher than it actually turned out to be after just having a quick search.

The second one linked has all the extras I'd put in, plus additional ones, it's just I've been mostly focused on automatics, but for that price I could be swayed. I won't be looking to buy(pick up new) till around April time, so those cars will probably be gone anyway, but may test drive a 435i just to see them too. I've not drove a 6 cylinder before either, so that'll be an additional experience.

I suppose a lot of it comes down to being able to specify everything I want, or don't want, whether that be the extras, or trim or whatever. Whether I need the additional extras with M sport over the sport, how good the M Sport suspension is on UK roads and what not.

I'm far more used to buying motorbikes, things are much easier lol.

[TW]Fox · 3 Jan 2015 at 00:45

Ghosteh said:
II won't be looking to buy(pick up new) till around April time, so those cars will probably be gone anyway

They will be replaced by even more, even cheaper examples by April once the used market begins to build for these.

Buying new is fine but don't buy a new mid spec model when you could buy a a better virtually new one for less money. These cars are all such low mileage anyway that you likely won't really feel any difference.

I suppose a lot of it comes down to being able to specify everything I want, or don't want, whether that be the extras, or trim or whatever.

But if you are only able to stretch to a Sport then being able to pick your own colour and a few small options isn't much consolation. Why not pick a nearly new one which has loads of kit on it, some of which you might never have picked yourself

Ghosteh · 3 Jan 2015 at 01:07

[TW]Fox;27424237 said:
They will be replaced by even more, even cheaper examples by April once the used market begins to build for these.

Oh I'm sure there will be, I know those won't be the only models, and once they're gone, they're gone.

Buying new is fine but don't buy a new mid spec model when you could buy a a better virtually new one for less money. These cars are all such low mileage anyway that you likely won't really feel any difference.

It's not so much about the milage, or wanting to own a brand new car, more looking for a particular specification. If I can find the right spec second hand, it would certainly be something I'd consider.

But if you are only able to stretch to a Sport then being able to pick your own colour and a few small options isn't much consolation. Why not pick a nearly new one which has loads of kit on it, some of which you might never have picked yourself

It's not really about what I can stretch to, more wanting the spec I want for the least amount of money, and not adding things I don't necessarily need or wont notice.

Like I say, I've got a test drive in an 428i M Sport, I might find the additional options on that pretty nice and I may sway myself to an M sport, and if I can try and get a 435i to try too, well who knows.

Thanks for all the input Fox, it's appreciated.

NVP · 3 Jan 2015 at 10:04

mrk · 3 Jan 2015 at 10:09

There's also an M Sport Plus isn't there?

J1nxy · 3 Jan 2015 at 10:12

mrk said:
There's also an M Sport Plus isn't there?

No thats not a specific model thats a options pack

mrk · 3 Jan 2015 at 10:15

Ah ok so not as bad as imagined then!

NVP · 3 Jan 2015 at 10:26

panthro · 3 Jan 2015 at 10:59

They should put the DCT gearbox in the 435i like they did with the later 335i's.

thewanted · 3 Jan 2015 at 11:01

panthro said:
They should put the DCT gearbox in the 435i like they did with the later 335i's.

Have you tried the ZF 8HP? It's damn quick in sport mode and doesn't have that annoying tendency to jerk in town like a dual-clutch 'box.

panthro · 3 Jan 2015 at 11:10

thewanted said:
Have you tried the ZF 8HP? It's damn quick in sport mode and doesn't have that annoying tendency to jerk in town like a dual-clutch 'box.

Yes I've driven several cars with the 8 speed gearbox extensively. My DCT gearbox has never been jerky around town or in general, unless you put it into the fastest settings.

J1nxy · 3 Jan 2015 at 11:10

panthro said:
They should put the DCT gearbox in the 435i like they did with the later 335i's.

Why? The 8 Speed ZF box is a perfect match for the x35i engine. Fast changes when in sport/manual mode and can be bounced off the limiter if you want to. Other times it just shifts seamlessly and lets you pottle around quite happily.

panthro · 3 Jan 2015 at 11:12

J1nxy said:
Why? The 8 Speed ZF box is a perfect match for the x35i engine. Fast changes when in sport/manual mode and can be bounced off the limiter if you want to. Other times it just shifts seamlessly and lets you pottle around quite happily.

I prefer the DCT gearbox, it's faster and more responsive.

Then again I'm probaby in the minority of x35i engine owners. For every day driving the 8 speed is smoother and easier to live with. Max attack the DCT is the better gearbox.